Don't take it from me, a guy who was basically birthed, then incubated inside a rice cooker, take it from Roger Ebert, whose love of the rice cooker translated into a full-length book on why everybody needs one.

You know, if your grandma is old and senile enough that you need a twice-daily email letting you know when she last used which appliances and for how long, it might be time to stick her in a home. But Zojirushi has developed a new system that does just that, so you have the peace of mind she hasn't burned down the…